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After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Eery place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. Frm the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No an shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be stong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only b strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This bok of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I nt commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Then Joshcommanded the officers of the people, "Pass throu the camp, and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess.'" And to the Reenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, "Remember the wo which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.' Your wives, your ltle ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brethren and shall help them, until the LORD givesest to your brethren as well as to you, and they also take possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them; then you shall return to the land of your possession, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." And they answered Josh, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against youcommandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage."
And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. nd it was told the king of Jericho, "Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." Ten the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land." Bu the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, "True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; andwhen the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." But he had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. So th men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. Beforethey lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and sai to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we h heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as sooas we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now then, swr to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign, and save alivey father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." And the men saido her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land." Then she let them wn by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall. And she said to them"Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way." The men said to her, " will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours which you have made us swear. Behold, when we come intthe land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. If any one goes out of theoors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this busineso ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear." And she said, "According to yo words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. They departed, and went into theills, and remained there three days, until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the way and found nothing. Then the two men came down again fm the hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, "Truly the RD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us."
Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim, with all the people of Israel; and they came to the Jordan, and lodged there before they passed over. t the end of three days the officers went through the camp ad commanded the people, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it, tht you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come near it." AndJoshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." And oshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. And te LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And yo shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" And Josua said to the people of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God." And Joshsaid, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, thark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan. Now therefortake twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the ses of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap." So, when the peoe set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and when those whoore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming do from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. And while all Israel we passing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ad command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" Thn Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe; andJoshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, thatthis may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' Then ou shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever." And th men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Josua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. For the ests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste; and when a the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. The sons of uben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had bidden them; about forty thsand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the RD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. And the LORD said Joshua, "Command the priestsho bear the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan." Joshua therefore commaed the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." And when the priests beang the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. The people came up out of e Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, whi hey took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. And he said to the people of Iael, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, 'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your childrennow, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' For the LORD your God dried up theaters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earthay know that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever."
When all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the people of Israel. t that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the people of Israel again the second time." S Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the people of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. Andthis is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. Thouh all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For te people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the LORD; to them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it as their children, whom he raised up in their stead, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. When th circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp till they were healed. And the ORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. While the ple of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. And on the mrow after the passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ased on the morrow, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the people of Israel had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. When Joshua was Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No; t as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, "What does my lord bid his servant?" And the commander ofhe LORD's army said to Joshua, "Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.
Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of the people of Israel; none went out, and none came in. nd the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. Yu shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. An seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. Andwhen they make a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." So Jshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." And h said to the people, "Go forward; march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD." And asJoshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. And thearmed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. But Joshcommanded the people, "You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then you shall shout." So he caus the ark of the LORD to compass the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp. Then Joshua se early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. And the seven iests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets continually; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. And the second d they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. On the seventh dayhey rose early at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times: it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh te, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout; for the LORD has given you the city. And the city and all tt is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent. But you, keep yourselvesrom the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, a vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." So the people shouted, and t rumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Then they utterly destroyed alin the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword. And Joshua said to the two men w had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from it the woman, and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." So the young men who had been spiewent in, and brought out Rahab, and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her; and they brought all her kindred, and set them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, d all within it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the harlot, and her father'sousehold, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive; and she dwelt in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua laid an oath upon them at that ti, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man that rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame w in all the land.
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. oshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. Ad they returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are but few." Soabout three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai, andthe men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them, and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim, and slew them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. ThenJoshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads. And Jshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why hast thou brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! O Lord what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For theCanaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?" The LORDid to Joshua, "Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your face? Israel hasinned; they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own stuff. Therefore thpeople of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become a thing for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Up, sanctify t people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted things from among you." In the morning trefore you shall be brought near by your tribes; and the tribe which the LORD takes shall come near by families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. And he who is takewith the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a shameful thing in Israel.'" So Joshua rose earlyn the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken; and he brought near thfamilies of Judah, and the family of the Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken; and he brought near his usehold man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Then Joshua said to Achan,My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and render praise to him; and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." And Achan answered Joshua, " truth I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a butiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." So Joshua sent messengers, and ty ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. And they took them out of the tentnd brought them to Joshua and all the people of Israel; and they laid them down before the LORD. And Joshua and all Israel with him tk Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap oftones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land; nd you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves; lay an ambush against the city, behind it." S Joshua arose, and all the fighting men, to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night. An he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but hold yourselves all in readiness; andI, and all the people who are with me, will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as before, we shall flee before them; and hey will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, 'They are fleeing from us, as before.' So we will flee from them; then ou shall rise up from the ambush, and seize the city; for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. And whn you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the LORD has bidden; see, I have commanded you." So Josha sent them forth; and they went to the place of ambush, and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people. And Josharose early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. And all thfighting men who were with him went up, and drew near before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. And he took out five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. So they statiod the forces, the main encampment which was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. And when the kinof Ai saw this he and all his people, the men of the city, made haste and went out early to the descent toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all rael made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness. So all the people whoere in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. There was not a man lefin Ai or Bethel, who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and pursued Israel. Then the LORD said to Josa, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. And the ambush rose quicklyut of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and took it; and they made haste to set the city on fire. So when the men of Ai looked c, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven; and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. And when Joshua and all Israel w that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and smote the men of Ai. And the others came forth from thcity against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and Israel smote them, until there was left none that survived or escaped. But the king of Ai they took alive,nd brought him to Joshua. When Israel had finished slaughteringll the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. And all who fell that day, both men andomen, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai. For Joshua did not draw back his hand, wi which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city rael took as their booty, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. So Joshua burned Ai, and made it for ever a hp of ruins, as it is to this day. And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until eving; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. Then Joshua built an altar in Mount Ebal to the LD,the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the pple of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, "an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man has lifted an iron tool"; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, herote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. And all Israel, sojourner as well as homeborn, with theielders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessi and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshudid not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, hey gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel. Bt when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, thy on their part acted with cunning, and went and made ready provisions, and took worn-out sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, wit worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy. And hey went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; so now make a covenant with us." But te men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?" They sid to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" They sad to him, "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all t he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth. And our elrs and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; come now, make a covenant with us."' Here is our ead; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set forth to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and moldy; these wineskinwere new when we filled them, and behold, they are burst; and these garments and shoes of ours are worn out from the very long journey." So the men parto of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD. And Joshua made pee with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. At the end of three ys after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. And the people of Isra set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Be-eroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the people of Israelid not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. But all the leaders said tall the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. This we will do to them, ande them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore to them." And the leaders said to them, et them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had said of them. Joshua summoned them, and he saito them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us? Now therefore you are cursed, and me of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." They answered Joshua, "Because it watold to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; so we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing. And now, behold, we are in your hand: as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." So he did to them, and delivered them ouof the hand of the people of Israel; and they did not kill them. But Joshua made them that day hewers of wo and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to continue to this day, in the place which he should choose.
When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, e feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. SoAdoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, "Coe up to me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." Thenthe five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces, and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. And te men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." So Josua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And theLORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; there shall not a man of them stand before you." So Joshu came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. And the L threw them into a panic before Israel, who slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And as theyled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down great stones from heaven upon them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of Israel killed with the sword. Then spoke Joua to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the men of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still at Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of Aijalon." And the sun sto still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There has been noay like it before or since, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. Then Joshua returne and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. These five kings fledand hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua,The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah." And Joshua said, "Roll grt stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; but do not stay there yoursves, pursue your enemies, fall upon their rear, do not let them enter their cities; for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." When Joshua and the men of Ise had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were wiped out, and when the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, all the people returned safe tooshua in the camp at Makkedah; not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel. Then Joshua said, "Open the mouthf the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave." And they did so, and brought those ve kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And when they brought those kings outo Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings." Then they came near, and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua said to them, "Do not be afrd or dismayed; be strong and of good courage; for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." And afterward Joshua smote them and put tm to death, and he hung them on five trees. And they hung upon the trees until evening; but at the time of the going down of the su Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set great stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day. And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smo it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it, he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. Then Joshua passed on from Makkedah, and all Isel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah; and the LORD gave it also and its king into the hd f Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. And Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel wi him, to Lachish, and laid siege to it, and assaulted it: and the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, anhe took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Jhua smote him and his people, until he left none remaining. And Joshua passed on with all Israel from Lachish to Eglo and they laid siege to it, and assaulted it; and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge ofhe sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish. Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron; andhey assaulted it, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its kg and its towns, and every person in it; he left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it with every person in it. Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir and assaulted , and he took it with its king and all its towns; and they smote themith the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person in it; he left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king. So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb andhe owland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the countrof Goshen, as far as Gibeon. And Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because the LD God of Israel fought for Israel. Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, nd to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, t the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. An they came out, with all their troops, a great host, in number like the sand that is upon the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. Andall these kings joined their forces, and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. And he LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel; you shall hamstring their horses, and burn their chariots with fire." So Johua came suddenly upon them with all his people of war, by the waters of Merom, and fell upon them. And th LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the valley of Mizpeh; and they smote them, until they left none remaining. And Josua did to them as the LORD bade him; he hamstrung their horses, and burned their chariots with fire. And Joshturned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. And they p to the sword all who were in it, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed, and he burned Hazor with fire. And all the ties of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took, and smote them with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. But none of thcities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor only; that Joshua burned. And all the spoiof these cities and the cattle, the people of Israel took for their booty; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any that breathed. As the LORD had coanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. So Joshua took all tt land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland from Mount Halak, thatises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he took all their kings, and smote them, and put them to death. Joshua made war a long te with all those kings. There was not a city that de peace with the people of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in battle. For it was the LORD's doing arden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be utterly destroyed, and should receive no mercy but be exterminated, as the LORD commanded Moses. And Joshua came at that time, d wiped out the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. There was none of the Anakim lefin the land of the people of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. So Joshua took the whole land, accding to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.
Now these are the kings of the land, whom the people of Israel defeated, and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward: ihon king of the Amorites who dwelt at Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, ad the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; an Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edre-i and uled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Ma-acathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. Moses the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. And thse are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, in the ill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites): the kingof Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; the king Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; the king ofarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; the king of Eon, one; the king of Gezer, one; the king of Deb, one; the king of Geder, one; the king of Horma one; the king of Arad, one; the king of Libnah,ne; the king of Adullam, one; the king of Makkedah,ne; the king of Bethel, one; the king of Tappuah, on the king of Hepher, one; the king of Aphek, one; t king of Lasharon, one; the king of Madon, one; theing of Hazor, one; the king of Shimron-meron, on he king of Achshaph, one; the king of Taanach, one; the kg of Megiddo, one; the king of Kedesh, one; the kingf Jokne-am in Carmel, one; the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, onethe king of Goiim in Galilee, one; the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirtone kings.
Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed. his is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites (rom the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is reckoned as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, inthe south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah which belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, andthe land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath, all he inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I will myself drive them out from before the people of Israel; only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now terefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh." With te other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them: from Aror, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; and all tcities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; and Gilead,nd the region of the Geshurites and Ma-acathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; all the kingd of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edre-i (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); these Moses had defeated and driven out. Yet the people Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Ma-acathites; but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. To the tribe of Li alone Moses gave no inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him. And Moses gave an ieritance to the tribe of the Reubenites according to their families. So their territory wafrom Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba; with Heshbon, and all i cities that are in the tableland; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, d Mephaath, and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah,nd Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, and Beth-peor, and the slopesfPisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth, that is, all the cities of the bleland, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who dwelt in the land. Balaam also, the son of Beor, theoothsayer, the people of Israel killed with the sword among the rest of their slain. And the border of the people of Reun was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their families with their cities and villages. And Moses gave an inheritance also tohe tribe of the Gadites, according to their families. Their territory was Jazer, and all the ties of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah, and from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir, and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Scoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. This is the inheritance of the Gadites accordi to their families, with their cities and villages. And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe Manasseh; it was allotted to the half-tribe of the Manassites according to their families. Their region extended from Mahanaim, through all Bha, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, and half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edre-i, the citi of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir the son of Manasseh for the half of the Machirites according to their families. These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in e plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the RD God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said to them.
And these are the inheritances which the people of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed to them. heir inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded Moses for the nine and one-half tribes. Fr Moses had given an inheritance to the two and one-half tribes beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. Fo the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for their cattle and their substance. Thepeople of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses; they allotted the land. Thenthe people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was orty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my rethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Mose swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children for ever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' And now, old, the LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still strong to this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming. So now give mthis hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day; for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities: it may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the LORD said." Then Joshua bleed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. So Hebron became e inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. Now the name of Hebn formerly was Kiriath-arba; this Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war.
The lot for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their families reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south. nd their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward; i goes out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka, pases along to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary. Andthe east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan; and he boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah, and passes along north of Beth-arabah; and the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben; and te boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley; and the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh, and ends at En-rogel; then te boundary goes up by the valley of the son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem); and the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim; then th boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron; then the boundary bends round to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim); and the ndary circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to Beth-shemesh, and passes along by Timnah; the bounda goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends round to Shikkeron, and passes along to Mount Baalah, and goes out to Jabneel; then the boundary comes to an end at the sea. And the westoundary was the Great Sea with its coast-line. This is the boundary round about the people of Judah according to their families. According to t commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). And Caleb drove t from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. And he went up fromhere against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher. And Caleb said, "Whoer smites Kiriath-sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife." And Othni-el the son ofenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. When she came to him, sherged him to ask her father for a field; and she alighted from her ass, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to him, "Give me aresent; since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. This is the inheritance of thtibe of the people of Judah according to their families. The cities belonging to the tri of the people of Judah in the extreme South, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, Kedesh, zor, Ithnan, Ziph, TelemBe-aloth, Hazor-hadatta Keri-oth-hezron (that i Hazor), Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-gaddah, Heshn, Beth-pelet, Hazar-sal, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah, Baalah,im, Ezem, Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, Zlag, Madmannah, Sansna, Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ai and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nincities, with their villages. And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, Enannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Soco Azekah, Shaaraim, Adithaim, Geder, Gederothaim: fourteen cities wittheir villages. Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, Lachis Bozkath, Eglon, Cabbon, Lahm, Chitlish, Gederoth, Bethagon, Naamah, and Makkedahsixeen cities with their vlages. Libnah, Ether, Ashan, Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Achzib, and Maresh: nine cities with theivillages. Ekron, with i towns and its villages; from Ekron to the sea, all that were bthe side of Ashdod, with their villages. shdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the Brook Egypt, and the Great Sea with its coast-line. And in the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Deb), Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, Goshen, Holon, and Gil: eleven cities with their villages. ArabDuma, Eshan, Janim, Bh-tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), a Zior: nine cities wi their villages. Maon, Carmel,iph, Juttah, Jezreel, Jokde-am, Zanoah, Kain, Gibe-ah, and Timnah: ten cities withheir villages. Halhul, Beth-r, Gedor, Maarath, Beth-ano, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages. Kiriath-baalthat is, Kiriath-jearim), d Rabbah: two cities with their villages. In the wilderness, Beth-abah,Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi: six cities with theirillages. But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jesalem, the people of Judah could not drive out; so the Jebusites dwell wi the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
The allotment of the descendants of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel; hen going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites; ten it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea. Th people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Theterritory of the Ephraimites by their families was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, and he boundary goes thence to the sea; on the north is Mich-methath; then on the east the boundary turns round toward Taanath-shiloh, and passes along beyond it on the east to Jan-oah, then t goes down from Jan-oah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. From Tppuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah, and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites by their families, togethe with the towns which were set apart for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages. However y did not drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: so the Canaanites have dwelt in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have become slaves to do forced labor.
Then allotment was made to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the first-born of Joseph. To Machir the first-born of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war. nd allotments were made to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, by their families, Abi-ezer, Helek, Asri-el, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida; these were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their families. Nw Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. The came before Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders, and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brethren." So according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. Thusthere fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan; becaue the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the Manassites. The teritory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Mich-methath, which is east of Shechem; then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The lan of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim. Then theboundary went down to the brook Kanah. The cities here, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea; the land the south being Ephraim's and that to the north being Manassehs, with the sea forming its boundary; on the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar. Also in Isshar and in Asher Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; the third is Naphath. Yet the sons ofanasseh could not take possession of those cities; but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. But when the peop of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out. And the tribe of Joph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since hitherto the LORD has blessed me?" And Joshua said to th, "If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." The tribe of Joseph sai "The hill country is not enough for us; yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel." Then Joshua said to the hse of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a numerous people, and have great power; you shall not have one lot only, but the hill country shall yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong."
Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; the land lay subdued before them. here remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. S Joshua said to the people of Israel, "How long will you be slack to go in and take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? Prvide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land, writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. The shall divide it into seven portions, Judah continuing in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph in their territory on the north. And ou shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. The Lvites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage; and Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." So themen started on their way; and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, "Go up and down and write a description of the land, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh." So the en went and passed up and down in the land and set down in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions; then they came to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh, and Joshcast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD; and there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion. The lot ofhe tribe of Benjamin according to its families came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph. On the northide their boundary began at the Jordan; then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward; and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-aven. From there theoundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (the same is Bethel), then the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, upon the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon. Then the boundargoes in another direction, turning on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city belonging to the tribe of Judah. This forms the western side. And the southern se begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim; and the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah; then the boundary goedown to the border of the mountain that overlooks the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the valley of Rephaim; and it then goes down the valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to En-rogel; then it bends in a nortrly direction going on to En-shemesh, and thence goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim; then it goes down to the Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben; and passing on to the nor of the shoulder of Beth-arabah it goes down to the Arabah; then the boundary passes on the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah; and the boundary ends at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border. The Jordan forms its boundary he eastern side. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by boundary round about. Now the cities of the tribe of Bjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avm, Parah, Ophrah, Chephar-ammon Ophni, Geba--twelve cies with their villages: Gibeon, Ramah, Be-eroth, Mizpeh, Chephih, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, ralah, Zela, Ha-eleph, Jeb (that is, Jerusalem), Gi-ah and Kiriath-jearim--fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families.
The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon, according to its families; and its inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. nd it had for its inheritance Beer-sheba, Sheba, Moladah, Hzar-shual, Balah, Ezem, Elolad, Bethul, Hormah, Zikag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen-- thirteen cities with their villages; En-rimon, Ether, and Ashan--four cities with their villages; togethr with all the villages round about these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon according to its families. The inhritance of the tribe of Simeon formed part of the territory of Judah; because the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them, the tribe of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. The thirot came up for the tribe of Zebulun, according to its families. And the territory of its inheritance reached as far as Sarid; then its bndary goes up westward, and on to Mareal, and touches Dabbesheth, then the brook which is east of Jokne-am; from Sarid igoes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor; thence it goes to Daberath, then up to Japhia; from there it sses along on the east toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and going on to Rimmon it bends toward Neah; then on the nortthe boundary turns about to Hannathon, and it ends at the valley of Iphtahel; and Kattath, Nahal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem--twelve cities with their villages. This is the inheritae of the tribe of Zebulun, according to its families--these cities with their villages. The fourth lot came oufor Issachar, for the tribe of Issachar, according to its families. Its territory included Jreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, Haphara-im, Shion, Anahara, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remh En-gannim, En-haddah, th-pazzez; the boundary also touches Tabor,hahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan--sixteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tri of Issachar, according to its families--the cities with their villages. The fifth lot came out for the tribef Asher according to its families. Its territory included Helkath, Hali, ten, Achshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal; on the we it touches Carmel and Shihor-libnath, then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dan, and touches Zebulun and the valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel; then it continues in the north to Cabul, Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Sidonhe Great; then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to e fortified city of Tyre; then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib, Ummah, Aphek and Rehob--twenty-two cities with thr illages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Asher accorng to its families--these cities with their villages. The sixth lot came out for the tribe of Naphtali, forhe tribe of Naphtali, according to its families. And its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Za-annim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan; then the boundary turns westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goefrom there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun at the south, and Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan. The fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chiereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edre-i, En-hazor, Yiron, Migd-el, Horem, Beth-anath,nd Beth-shemesh-- nineteen ties with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali according to its filies--the cities with their villages. The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, according to its famils. And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshta-ol, Ir-sheme, Sha-alabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, alath, Jehud, Bene-berak, Gathimmon, and Me-jarkon d Rakkon with the territory ov against Joppa. When the territo of the Danites was lost to them, the Danites went up and fought ainst Leshem, and after capturing it and putting it to the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to their families--these citiesith their villages. When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances,he people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. By command of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill cotry f Ephraim; and he rebuilt the city, and settled in it. These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, tht the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. He hall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and explain his case to the elders of that city; then they shall take him into the city, and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. And f the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand; because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past. And h shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'" So the set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. And beynd the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. These wee the cities designated for all the people of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that any one who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel; ad they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasture lands for our cattle." Soby command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasture lands out of their inheritance. Thelot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. And he rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. The Grsonites received by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. The Mearites according to their families received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. These cties and their pasture lands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. Out of te tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, which weno the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites who belonged to the Levites; since the lot fell to them first. They gave tm Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture lands round about it. But the fieldof the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. And to the descdants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir with its pture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, Holon with its paste lands, Debir with its pasture lands, Ain with its pasture nds, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands--nine cities out of these two tribes; then out of the tribe oBenjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pastureands, and Almon with its pasture lands--four cities. The cities of the descendan of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. As to the rest of the Kohathisbelonging to the Kohathite families of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. To them were given Shechem, theity of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, Kibza-im with its pasture lands, th-horon with its pasture lands--four cities; and out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeith its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-mmon with its pasture lands--four cities; and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, anach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands--two cities. The cities of the families of the rest ofhe Kohathites were ten in all with their pasture lands. And to the Gershonites, one of the familiesf the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, and Beeshterah with its pasture lands--two cities; and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion witits pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gannim with s pasture lands--four cities; and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its paur lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its sture lands--four cities; and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee wh its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands--three cities. The cities of the several families of the Gershonites we in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite families, we given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokne-am with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahalal with its pasture lan--four cities; and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands,ahaz with its pasture lands, Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mepha-ath with its pastureands--four cities; and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture las, the city of refuge for the slayer, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands--four ties in all. As for the cities of the several Merarite families, that is, the remaderof the families of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasture lands. These cities had each its pasture lands round about it; so it was with althese cities. Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fhers; and having taken possession of it, they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathe; not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israelad failed; all came to pass.
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ad said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you; yo have not forsaken your brethren these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. Andnow the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as he promised them; therefore turn and go to your home in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Takegood care to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." So Johua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their homes. Now tothe one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brethren in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, he saidto them, "Go back to your homes with much wealth, and with very many cattle, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren." So the Rubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through Moses. And when y came to the region about the Jordan, that lies in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size. And the peoe of Israel heard say, "Behold, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel." And when the ople of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh, to make war against them. Then the peoplef Israel sent to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten iefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. And they came to thReubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, "Thus says the whole ngregation of the LORD, 'What is this treachery which you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD, by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD? Have we not had enough the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD, that you must turn away ts day from following the LORD? And if you rebel against the LORD today he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. But now, if your land is unean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do not rebel against the LORD, or make us as rebels by building yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerabeak faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'" Then the Reubenites, the Gadite and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! T Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the LORD, spare us not today for building an altar to turn away om following the LORD; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. Nay, but we did it from fear that in me to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? For the LORD has made the Jordan a bounry between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an aar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, andetween the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."' And we thought, If this should be said to us to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.' Far be it from us that we should rebel against e LORD, and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, cereal offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!" When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the coreation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manassites spoke, it pleased them well. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to e Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manassites, "Today we know that the LORD is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD; now you have saved the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD." Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the iefs, returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. And the report pleased the people of Israel; and the pele of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them, to destroy the land where the Reubenites and the Gadites were settled. The Reubenites and the Gadites called the altar Witness; or," said they, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God."
A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, oshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years; ad you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. Beold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. TheLORD your God will push them back before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you. Therfore be very steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that ou may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down yourselves to them, but clave to the LORD your God as you have done to this day. For theLORD has driven out before you great and strong nations; and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day. One man you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he promised you. Take good ed to yourselves, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you tn back, and join the remnant of these nations left here among you, and make marriages with them, so that you marry their women and they yours, know assuredlyhat the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, till you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. "And now I am abt to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed. But just as all thgood things which the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress thcovenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you."
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. nd Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Ten I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; an to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. AndI sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it; and afterwards I brought you out. ThenI brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. And wen they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt; and you lived in the wilderness a long time. Then Ibrought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then Baak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I wo not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand. And you we over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I gave them into your hand. And I sent t hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a ld on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you dwell therein; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards which you did not plant.' "Now therefore fr the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if you be unwiing to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Then the people answed, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; for it is the LORD ourod who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the LORD drove out bore us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." But Joshua said to the peoe, "You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and re foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." And the people said to Joshua,Nay; but we will serve the LORD." Then Joshua said to the people, ou are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." He said, "Then put away the foreiggods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel." And the people said to Joshua, "The LD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." So Joshua made a covenant with the peop that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold,his stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." So Joshua sent the people away, every man to s inheritance. After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the svant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timthserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, d all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work which the LORD did for Israel. The bones of Joseph which the people of Israel broughup from Egypt were buried at Shechem, in the portion of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him Gibe-ah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.